The mob that hails the man on horseback, the Caesars and conquering heroes, does not retain its freedoms for long.
Interpretation
Historical admiration often leads to the loss of individual freedoms.
Sidney Hook suggests that societies that glorify and idolize powerful leaders or heroes, such as conquerors, may inadvertently sacrifice their freedoms. This reflects a cautionary stance on the dangers of hero worship and authoritarianism, emphasizing that the allure of strong figures can lead to oppression rather than liberty.
In practice
During a discussion about historical leaders, one might reference this quote to highlight the risks of authoritarianism.
A liberal education will impart an awareness of the amazing and precious complexity of human relationships. Since those relationships are violated more often out of insensitiveness than out of deliberate intent, whatever increases sensitiveness of perception and understanding humanizes life.
Everyone recognizes a distinction between knowledge and wisdom. . . Wisdom is a kind of knowledge. It is knowledge of the nature, career, and consequences of human values. Since these cannot be separated from the human organism and the social scene, the moral ways of man cannot be understood without knowledge of the ways of things and institutions.
In contrast to totalitarianism, democracy can face and live with the truth about itself.
Tolerance always has limits - it cannot tolerate what is itself actively intolerant.
Idealism, alas, does not protect one from ignorance, dogmatism, and foolishness.
The easiest rationalization for the refusal to seek the truth is the denial that truth exists.
Far away, our dreams have nothing to do with what we do. The wind carries the night, and passes on, aimless.
Above all, the state of grace is absolutely necessary at the moment of death; without it, salvation and supernatural happiness the beatific vision of God - are impossible.
It was a Greek tragedy. Nixon was fulfilling his own nature. Once it started it could not end otherwise.
Puddleglum's my name. But it doesn't matter if you forget it. I can always tell you again.
A democracy,- that is a government of all the people, by all the people, for all the people; of course, a government of the principles of eternal justice, the unchanging law of God; for shortness' sake I will call it the idea of Freedom.
I have no interest in romanticizing poor black people, having been one of them myself in our beloved hometown of Detroit.
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